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Learn how you can scale your care team with AI: https://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq

In this enlightening episode, I sit down with Chris Ellis, CEO of Thatch, following their impressive $40 million Series B funding round led by Index Ventures with strategic investment from ADP Ventures. Chris breaks down how Thatch is revolutionizing employee health benefits through Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA), allowing employees to choose their own health plans while giving employers cost control and administrative simplicity. We dive deep into the fundamental problems with employer-based health insurance, explore the bipartisan political momentum behind health insurance reform, and discuss how decoupling insurance from employment could realign incentives throughout the healthcare system. Chris provides fascinating insights into how this shift could enable true preventive care, extend insurer-patient relationships, and create the consumer-driven healthcare marketplace that has been decades in the making. This conversation connects perfectly with the current administration's focus on patient empowerment and transparency, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of American healthcare.

Timestaps:
00:00:00 - Thatch's $40M Series B Led by Index Ventures
00:03:29 - How Thatch's ICHRA Model Actually Works
00:12:32 - Government's $1,200 Tax Credit for Small Businesses
00:25:94 - The Cancer Detection Problem: Why Insurers Won't Invest in Prevention
00:28:47 - The Vision: Decoupling Insurance from Employment
00:40:49 - GLP-1 Coverage Dilemma: When ROI Takes Too Long

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Learn how you can scale your care team with AI: https://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq

In this episode I sit down with Steve Wardell, managing partner at Wardell Advisors LLC, for an eye-opening conversation that peels back the curtain on healthcare venture capital. Drawing parallels between HBO's Silicon Valley and the real digital health VC world, Wardell breaks down the psychology behind investor behavior, explains why playing "hard to get" with VCs can backfire, and reveals the red flags that signal toxic investor relationships. This episode is essential listening for health tech founders navigating today's funding landscape, where AI-enabled startups are capturing the majority of investment dollars and the "full stack" trend is revolutionizing how VCs think about healthcare companies. Wardell provides actionable insights on funding stages, market consolidation opportunities, and the strategic mistakes that waste entrepreneurs' time while sharing proven frameworks for positioning yourself as an expert rather than a supplicant when pitching to venture capital firms.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:05:58 - The Psychology of VC Funding
00:12:25 - Funding Stages Breakdown
00:23:00 - Bootstrapping vs the VC Treadmill
00:25:32 - Red Flags and Toxic Investors
00:35:15 - How to Pitch VCs Effectively
00:41:42 - Specialized vs Generalist Funds
00:48:00 - Closing Thoughts

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In this episode, CMMI Director Abe Sutton shares his unique journey from the private sector back to government service and reveals how he's rapidly transforming Medicare through innovative payment models. Sutton discusses the newly launched WISER (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) model, which leverages AI technology to reduce fraud and waste in Medicare, and the upcoming ASM (Ambulatory Specialty Model) targeting heart failure and lower back pain. The conversation explores CMMI's 2025 strategy focused on evidence-based prevention, patient empowerment, and choice and competition, while addressing how emerging technologies like generative AI are creating unprecedented opportunities to streamline healthcare administration and improve patient outcomes. Sutton also reveals how he spent four years during his "off season" developing a comprehensive roadmap for healthcare innovation that he's now implementing at warp speed.

Links:
WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) model: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...
ASM (Ambulatory Specialty Model): https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...
CMMI's 2025 Strategy Focus: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...

Learn how AI can amplify your care coordination team by visiting https://link.careco.ai/HTRKQs

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:00:37 - Why Leave Private Sector for Government Service
00:09:16 - AI and Technology's Impact on Healthcare Innovation
00:17:49 - WISER Model Introduction and Goals
00:30:45 - Food Policy and Making America Healthy Again
00:34:08 - ASM Model for Heart Failure and Lower Back Pain
00:38:31 - Four Years of Preparation During "Off Season"